Marshall Wace LLP Has $15.20 Million Stake in Encore Capital Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ECPG)

Marshall Wace LLP increased its position in Encore Capital Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ECPG - Free Report) by 73.1% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 318,096 shares of the asset manager's stock after purchasing an additional 134,309 shares during the quarter. Marshall Wace LLP owned approximately 1.34% of Encore Capital Group worth $15,195,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in ECPG. Portolan Capital Management LLC bought a new position in Encore Capital Group in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $10,291,000. Barclays PLC grew its position in shares of Encore Capital Group by 29.4% during the 4th quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 256,002 shares of the asset manager's stock worth $12,228,000 after buying an additional 58,099 shares during the period. Sterling Capital Management LLC raised its position in shares of Encore Capital Group by 827.2% in the 4th quarter. Sterling Capital Management LLC now owns 751 shares of the asset manager's stock valued at $36,000 after acquiring an additional 670 shares during the period. Renaissance Technologies LLC grew its holdings in Encore Capital Group by 6.3% during the fourth quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC now owns 50,605 shares of the asset manager's stock valued at $2,417,000 after purchasing an additional 3,000 shares during the period. Finally, Invesco Ltd. raised its holdings in Encore Capital Group by 4.9% in the fourth quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 152,942 shares of the asset manager's stock worth $7,306,000 after purchasing an additional 7,172 shares during the period.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

ECPG has been the topic of several research analyst reports. StockNews.com downgraded Encore Capital Group from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a research note on Wednesday. Truist Financial lowered their price objective on shares of Encore Capital Group from $64.00 to $57.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, February 27th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Encore Capital Group has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $62.67.

Insider Transactions at Encore Capital Group

In related news, CEO Ashish Masih bought 20,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, March 5th. The stock was bought at an average price of $35.14 per share, for a total transaction of $702,800.00. Following the purchase, the chief executive officer now owns 322,254 shares in the company, valued at $11,324,005.56. This represents a 6.62 % increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, Director Ashwini Gupta purchased 40,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, March 5th. The stock was bought at an average cost of $35.10 per share, for a total transaction of $1,404,000.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director now owns 96,909 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,401,505.90. This trade represents a 70.29 % increase in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. 2.63% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Encore Capital Group Stock Down 1.2 %

Encore Capital Group stock traded down $0.43 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $34.38. The company's stock had a trading volume of 272,091 shares, compared to its average volume of 189,167. The business's 50 day simple moving average is $35.13 and its 200 day simple moving average is $43.64. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.39, a quick ratio of 1.11 and a current ratio of 1.11. Encore Capital Group, Inc. has a 12 month low of $26.45 and a 12 month high of $51.77. The company has a market capitalization of $814.50 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -4.38 and a beta of 1.58.

Encore Capital Group (NASDAQ:ECPG - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 26th. The asset manager reported $1.50 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.55 by ($0.05). Encore Capital Group had a positive return on equity of 12.70% and a negative net margin of 13.91%. The company had revenue of $265.62 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $373.40 million. As a group, research analysts anticipate that Encore Capital Group, Inc. will post 5.09 earnings per share for the current year.

Encore Capital Group Company Profile

Encore Capital Group, Inc, a specialty finance company, provides debt recovery solutions and other related services for consumers across financial assets worldwide. The company purchases portfolios of defaulted consumer receivables at deep discounts to face value, as well as manages them by working with individuals as they repay their obligations and works toward financial recovery.